Bleach: Fallen Souls
by VeshWolfe
Summary: "It has been said that we wear masks to hide ourselves from the darkness of our own abyss, but what are we to do when we are swallowed up by the darkness of our own truths?" Dive into this original story set within the Bleach Universe and manga timeline
1. Chapter 1: The End

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website: .com

**Bleach: Fallen Souls - Chapter One**

It has been said that _we _wear masks to hide ourselves from the darkness of our own abyss, but what are we to do when we are swallowed up by the darkness of our own truths?

It is a humid summer night in a large metropolitan city somewhere along the East Coast of the United States. The term "night," though may be misleading, as it's nearly 2 o'clock in the morning. A black sports car can be seen driving down a strangely empty city street and pulls into a garage underneath one of the city's largest skyscrapers. Once parked, the driver gets out and walks to the elevator. He is a young man in is early to mid-20s dressed in semi-formal attire. As he enters the penthouse apartment, he casually looks around. No one is home. He notices a message on his answering machine, which he reluctantly plays. "Adam, it's Mom. Call me back as soon as you get this! We really need to talk about somethi…." The young man, Adam, deletes the message before it can finish.

He moves on to slowly check the apartment for any signs of intrusion and gradually makes his way to his bedroom. Adam approaches his bed but stops and glances at a small picture next to it. It is of a young woman with dark hair. He sighs while grasping what appears to be a chain-like necklace under his shirt, loosens his tie, removes the necklace and places it next to the picture. It becomes apparent that the object he grasped was the diamond ring on the necklace, an object Adam evidently cares for greatly. He then inserts a large sphere-like pill into his mouth as he falls onto his bed. There is a blast of what appears to be electricity as Adam separates into two. Lying on his bed he is dressed in the same clothes he wore all day, however standing directly in front of this Adam is one dressed in a black and white outfit reminiscent of the Japanese samurai, complete with a single katana. The casual dressed Adam asks "Is there anything in particular you need me to do tonight master?" To which the samurai-like Adam replies, "No. Just don't act suspicious or leave the apartment. Furthermore, only answer the phone if it is anyone other than my mother, she will know that you are not me. Other than that, you know the drill." The casual Adam nods in agreement. While partaking in the conversation, Adam has opened the door to his balcony and placed himself on the ledge. "I'll be back sometime before she gets too concerned and decides to stop over." And with that, Adam places the necklace back around his neck and jumps from the ledge, but instead of falling to his death, finds his footing mid-air and then promptly disappears faster than the blink of an eye.

Elsewhere in the city, a blindfolded and gaged elderly gentleman is ushered by armed guards into what would appear to be a medical gallery room. Once released from his confinements, the man explodes with, "Do you fools not know who I am! I am Senator John McCain! Do you think no one will look for me? By abducting me you signed your own death certificates!" Towards the end of the tirade, a man in his mid to late 30s walks into the room accompanied by more guards. His appearance is clearly that of a scientist, complete with a lab coat and glasses, but there is something more to him. He possesses a stature and confidence level abnormal of what one might expect, as if he knows he is superior to everyone else. This is made none the more evident with his slicked back hair and expensive suit worn under his lab coat. "My apologies Senator McCain, but such actions were unavoidable. You see your recent probe into the designation of certain funds is causing more publicity than I would like, so I feel that it would, perhaps, be more beneficial to my goals to loop you in. In this fashion, you can act as a proxy for me, diverting further inquiries, without repeats of these events being needed." McCain, "You…you're Dr. Lumen, but how? There were reports that you died. I attended your funeral." Dr. Lumen laughs lightly but with a sinister undertone, "True, many people do think that I am dead, but such illusions are fairly easy to maintain when you have the proper resources. At any rate, you are not here to ask questions. Senator, please observe what is about to happen in the laboratory below." McCain peers through the window. From the lab below the scream of a man can be heard emanating, almost sounding like a howl of some unearthly creature. McCain averts his eyes in disgust and turns back to Dr. Lumen, "This is…this is project H.A.D.E.S., but it was canceled decades ago." Dr. Lumen gives a smirk, "Must we go over this again? Illusions are easy to maintain. Regardless, this is what you are going to do…"

Ten hours later we see Adam rushing along the rooftops of houses back towards the downtown area of the city. Based upon the direction he is coming from, it is apparent that he was somewhere within the old factory district. His face has a serious expression upon it, like a man of conviction in deep thought. Upon reaching his building he jumps straight up into the air and begins scaling the building, only needing a few jumps to reach the balcony of his penthouse. As Adam enters his apartment, he can tell something is off. As he begins to unsheathe his sword, he peers to his right to see he mother just as she grabs his hand, forcing him to sheath his sword. "God damn it! I told that idiot not to answer the phone," Adam says, displeased with his mother's visit. She replies by saying, "Don't blame him Adam, after all he is just a soul candy. You cannot expect them to follow intricate rules, especially when you leave them alone for extended periods of time." Adam, still angered, asks, "Speaking of which where is he? Please tell me you didn't let him out of here with my body." Now getting annoyed herself, "I am not a fool. Remember I am the one who taught you many of the things you now take for granted. At any rate, I removed him from your body as he was beginning to get on my nerves. Your body and the soul candy are both on your bed. " At this point Adam is beginning to calm himself down somewhat. After taking a moment to take a few breaths, he asks "So what do you want? Last time I saw you it was, what, last Christmas." "I thought we could catch up a little, but I guess that was too much to expect. You want to get right to the point, fine. I know what you have been doing these past five years. Please tell me those things are not for what I think they are for. You know such an act is strictly forbidden by Soul Society. Thus far they have turned a blind eye to our presence, but using those things is a sure way to grab their attention and not only put you, but me and all I have built in danger," she exclaims. Adam gives his mother a disapproving look, "Since when do you care about the rules and laws of Soul Society? I'm sorry, but isn't desertion also against its rules? But I shouldn't expect any less from you, should I? You are always only concerned with yourself and your precious corporation. The reason you taught me what you did was to protect yourself, just like the reason you are raising concern now is to protect yourself. Shit, even when she was killed you used your political and financial influence to remove all traces of her from the world, regardless of my feelings or wellbeing! You…" Adam abruptly stops talking as there an intense pressure seemingly emanating from everywhere is felt.

Adam quickly looks around the apartment and then runs to the wall to his left. As he touches the wall with his hand he sighs "No" under his breath and quickly turn his head back to his mother. "Damn it. I shouldn't have lost focus and argued with you. You dispelled the barrier I had around the penthouse, didn't you?" At this point Adam's mother is clearly worried but apparently confused as well as a ponderous look comes across her face. She states, "Yes I did, but I thought that barrier was to prevent me from knowing when and how often you took on your Soul Reaper form. Wasn't it?" Adam groans, "No it was not for you at all. The world, or for that matter my life, does not revolve around you. I commune with Kamikaze daily to train and the barrier's purpose was to keep in the latent Spiritual Power and Pressure left over after such training. I did this mainly because I did not know what it would attract. However, it looks like I now have my answer." As Adam finishes speaking there is a loud howl like sound emanating outside. As both Adam and his mother turn to look out the window a crack in space and time can be seen forming outside, with giant white skeleton-like fingers sticking through the crack as if they are trying to rip it open even more. Adam quickly turns to his mother and says, "I will go deal with the Hollow. Can you please quickly recast a barrier around the penthouse before more appear, or is that too much trouble?" With that Adam rushes back out onto the balcony of the penthouse and jumps and lands in mid-air, just as the crack is completely opened by the Hollow. Its gigantic black and white appearance is reminiscent of a macabre puppet of Pinocchio. Adam lets out a sarcastic chuckle and says, "Shit, it had to be a Gillian didn't it? 'K' let's finish this before it draws anymore unwanted attention to us."

Suddenly, a similar pressure as before emanates from Adam as he unsheathes his katana and holds it, facing downward, in front of his body. Adam exclaims, "Protect, Kamikaze!" as the katana glows with a blinding white light and a tornado force wind surrounds Adam. As the wind subsides and the glow of the katana fades, it is obvious that the katana has changed form somehow. While it previously resembled any standard Japanese Samurai sword, its new form is vastly different. At first glance the overall blade is longer and lacks a guard. However, the oddest feature of this new form is that it possesses two holes in the body of the sword, one extending from the base to just before the mid-point of the blade and the other extending from just after the mid-point of the blade to just before its tip. As if in response to this, the mask-like mouth of the "Gillian" opens as a red sphere of light begins to form within it. Adam quickly swings the sword from the middle of his body out to his right. In an instant faster than what many can see, wind is channeled through the holes in the blade of the sword and then outwards toward the Hollow. For a brief moment, the actions of the Hollow seem to pause but it soon becomes evident that its gigantic body has been sliced in half. As the Hollow's body begins to disintegrate and the space-time rift begins to close itself, Adam's sword quickly glows once again and it reverts to its original form as he sheaths it.

As Adam reenters his apartment, he notices a note left near where his mother was standing. It reads, "I've put a new barrier up for you, as I am sure you have noticed by now, but it is not as sophisticated as your original one so I am sure you will need to reinforce it. Adam, you really should learn to use restraint before using your Zanpakutō, but I doubt you will listen to my advice anyway. At any rate, I have other business to attend to so we will have to continue this at a later time." Adam cringes his face in disgust and throws the note aside while heading into his bedroom.

Meanwhile, in a darkened room filled with computer screens, Dr. Lumen is watching what appears to be a recording of Adam's encounter with the "Gillian" Hollow. As he strikes a smirk he says to himself, "It would appear that things are about to get interesting."


	2. Chapter 2: Firing Squad

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website: .com

**Bleach: Fallen Souls – Chapter Two**

As Adam walks into the bedroom of his penthouse apartment, he once again pauses in front of a small picture of a young dark-haired woman. As the moment passes, it is clear that he is collecting his thoughts. Now mentally recharged, Adam walks over to an outside wall of the apartment and lightly touches it while closing his eyes ever so briefly. As he opens them, he says to himself "Shit" and rushes over to his body lying on top of his bed. Instead of rejoining with it though, Adam grabs the soul candy and places it inside the mouth of his seemingly comatose body. It suddenly springs to life as the fake Adam waits for orders from its "master." Adam, while glancing around the apartment, begins to speak "I could restore the barrier I had around here but perhaps training with "K" in such close proximity to others was a poor decision on my part. So I will be spending considerably more time at the other location, which means you will have to handle my day to day life more than you have before. Fortunately, my employees do most of the stock trading but in the event someone asks your opinion, DO NOT screw around. Just refer the question it to someone else, got it?" The fake Adam replies with a quick nod of yes. Adam again approaches his balcony and in briefly states, "Should anything happen that you cannot handle, dial 000 on _my_ cell phone. It will reach me." The fake Adam again nods yes again as Adam jumps from the balcony and into the air and out of sight.

As Adam quickly runs over various rooftops of buildings and through various neighborhoods a disembodied voice can be heard only to Adam. It asks, "Are you sure that leaving the soul candy in control of _that_ much is a good idea? I mean what if your mother finds out you aren't you again?" Adam smiles and laughs a little at the question, "K don't worry. You know my business practically runs itself and I highly doubt my mother will have any desire to contact me anytime soon, especially since a Gillian just found its way to the center of the city. No, she'll be laying low for a while, trying to look as "human" as possible." The voice responds, "I see. At any rate, I told you that we shouldn't be training in your residence, especially considering the level of training that we are doing. Even if its "leftovers" do not attract hollows, they still can draw unwanted attention to us. On that point your mother was right." Adam sighs and says, "I know. I know. Perhaps I was a tad too confident in my own abilities. That is why we are going to train _here_ from now on. I have far stronger barriers up, ones that I doubt my mother, let alone anyone, will be able to dispel easily…..well perhaps anyone except the man who taught me how to use those barriers." It is apparent that Adam is a lot more tolerant of criticism from this disembodied voice than his own mother. With that Adam reaches the factory district on the outskirts of the city.

Adam now walks slowly through the numerous factories and warehouses, occasionally looking around to make sure that no one is following him. There is a peculiar feeling as it is the middle of the day, yet every factory or warehouse Adam passes is abandoned. He approaches a rather small and broken down warehouse and lifts his hand into the air just in front of its door, seemingly touching nothing. Suddenly a transparent orange wall-like structure appears. A square passage way opens in the transparent wall, directly in front of the building's physical door. As Adam enters the warehouse, the passage way in the transparent wall closes itself and the entire orange structure again vanishes from sight. Now inside the warehouse, Adam walks past numerous random boxes and crates towards a small trap-door like opening in the floor. He opens the trap-door and begins descending down the staircase within into what seems like complete darkness. After descending countless steps, a glimmer of light can be seen as Adam emerges in a huge room. The word "room" is not quite the right word to describe this area, as it extends well beyond one's field of view and visibly looks as if one were in the American Southwest, complete with mountains.

Behind the "sky" staircase descending into the area is what appears to be a moderately sized office building. Adam starts to head towards this building, when K asks in confusion, "Did we not come here to train?" Adam smiles and replies, "Yes, I initially thought we should but I have been thinking, how did _she_ know about _them_? The barriers are intact, and I do not sense anyone's Spiritual Pressure here other than my own. So how did she know? I cannot answer this no matter how hard I try, so I think it would be best if we move forward with this aspect of my plans right now, especially since the final _one_ is nearly complete." While in conversation, Adam has entered the building, which is filled with numerous scientific and technological aspects that no normal person would be able to comprehend. It is abundantly clear that this building, specifically, is Adam's laboratory. He finally reaches the very rear of the building, which contains huge vault-like doors. Adam punches a code into a nearby keypad and the doors open, revealing four identical unsheathed katana, all of which are emitting thick bluish-white auras. Adam carefully grabs the katana farthest to his right and proceeds out of the lab. Once "outside," he sits down with the katana gripped with both hands, pointing the blade directly in front of his body. In this position, he closes his eyes and begins to meditate as a continuous wave of pressure is emitted from him.

Meanwhile, Adam's mother is sitting in a presentation given by what are obviously high ranking officers at her company. The presentation is on the various medical research projects being done by the company. A young woman, obviously her assistant, barges into the room, disrupting the presentation. In somewhat of a panic she states, "I am so sorry for interrupting Dr. Song, but you told me to let you know when _he_ arrived and I just got word from security at the front desk that he is on his way up." Dr. Song, Adam's mother, smiles and says, "That is okay Susana, please direct him my office. You may go now." She turns her attention to the individuals giving the presentation, "I can see that everything is going as expected. You may stop the presentation now. Continue on as you have, but should anything pressing arise please notify me immediately. I am sorry for cutting this short, but I have other matters to attend to." And with that she leaves the conference room and heads to the small staircase up to her lavish office. Inside her office is standing a middle-aged man of Japanese descent peering out its windows down at the city. He has silver hair and is wearing a gray suit and tie with blue crosses. His intelligence and confidence is apparent by the way he carries himself and his attire, including his glasses. As Dr. Song enters the room she states, "Dr. Ishida, what a pleasure to see you again…" but is cut off by the man as he states, "Enough with the pleasantries, we have much to discuss."

Hours later we see Adam again returning back to the city. As he just approaches the metropolitan area of the city over private radio frequency can be heard, "Sir, the target is approaching Point B, do I have authorization to take the shot?" Replying to the question is the voice of Dr. Lumen, "Yes, and do not miss. Once the target is confirmed to be hit leave the area immediately." As Adam descends from the rooftop of one of the buildings to the top of a parking garage a shot from a sniper-rifle is fired. Adam is lost in thought but hears the shot and stops and turns to see the projectile just before it makes contact with him. However, it is not a bullet as one would expect, but a bullet shaped piece of what appears to be chalk. As the projectile makes contact with Adam, it disintegrates into countless pieces of white dust, that are swept away into the air almost immediately. The look on Adam's face is one of shock and confusion as he says to himself, "Shit, Hollow bait! Who the fu…" Suddenly, numerous unearthly howls can be heard emanating from what appears to be everywhere as small rips in space and time form, each one containing a Hollow of random shape and size, from those resembling humanoid-size birds and lizards, to those resembling giant insects.

Almost as if by instinct Adam unsheathes his Zanpakutō and again exclaims "Protect, Kamikaze!" as the sword once again changes its form. He proceeds to slice the Hollows with ease, just as he did the "Gillian" Hollow, but their numbers continue to increase as they all seem to be increasingly attracted to Adam's presence. K comments to Adam, "It would appear that a great deal of the Hollow bait has attached itself to us, hence the overall attraction of the hollows to our general location." Adam smirks and replies, "Ya, I figured that, but there is not much more we can do. We will just have to wait till it wears off." While, finishing his reply to K a Hollow slams Adam from behind into a row of parked cars. As Adam returns to his feet, clearing his mind from the sudden surprise he takes notice that the Hollows are beginning to coordinate attacks. As some 40 to 50 Hollows all simultaneously rush towards Adam, he holds Kamikaze close to his body with the blade facing down. Just as the Hollows reach Adam, a powerful wind is channeled through Kamikaze that surrounds Adam's entire body like a shield. As the parts of the Hollows' bodies make contact with this wind shield they are shredded to pieces, causing the Hollows to slightly recoil in pain and shock. Realizing this, Adam immediately jumps into the air faces downwards towards the Hollows, extends his left palm and exclaims "Raikōhō!" Immediately a large blast of yellow electricity emerges from Adam's palm and travels towards the Hollows, killing them instantly. As he lands amongst their disintegrating bodies, he pauses and smirks, clearly proud of his own abilities. Suddenly, two more Hollows emerge behind and attack him with a force so powerful that he is launched through the 5 floors of the parking garage and onto the street below.

Adam can hear K laughing and annoyed asks, "Want to tell me what the hell is so funny?" K manages to stop himself from laughing and states, "I'm laughing at you. What the hell were you doing dropping your guard?" Adam, light heartedly replies, "I didn't drop my guard. They cheated." K, in a concerned voice says, "Adam get serious, here come more! We need to finish this fast! Before bigger "fish" are attracted by the feeding frenzy." As a large wave of Hollows rush towards Adam from above, a flurry of small iridescent blue arrows dispatch the Hollows in an instant. Adam looks to the direction the arrows came from to see Dr. Ishida calmly walking down the now deserted street carrying a gray colored bow. Clearly displeased and disgusted, Dr. Ishida says, "Are you Shinigami all this foolish? Releasing this much bait in a consolidated area puts hundreds if not thousands of lives at risk." Adam, annoyed, replies "Do not look at me, I didn't do this. Plus, are you forgetting that your son did the same thi…" Before he can finish, a Hollow attempts to attack from behind, which Adam quickly kills with Kamikaze. Again facing Dr. Ishida, "Regardless, I don't remember asking for your help _Quincy_, so f*ck off." While glaring at one another, each spot a small wave of Hollows approaching behind the other and kill them effortlessly. Dr. Ishida turns back to Adam, "You do take after your mother more than you would like to admit. I am not helping you. I am attempting to save innocent lives." Adam is about to say something but both suddenly hear two unseen individuals speaking nearby. The first person asks the other, "Wow, so many Hollows, what do you think could be causing them to swarm like this?" The second person responds, "I don't know, but our squad was sent here to take care of this situation quickly, and that is what we need to…wait…can you feel those two Spiritual Pressures? They seem to be Captain-level, but no high ranking officers were sent with us. I think we need to investigate this, it might be the cause of the swarm." Dr. Ishida begins walking back towards the direction from which he came. As he passes Adam, he says, "I have no desire to be seen by those two, as I am sure you don't either. I suggest we both take our leave. I'll be seeing you again, Adam." Now realizing that the two Soul Reapers are too close for comfort, Adam rushes off to his apartment.

Two hours later Adam, back inside his body, is peering out his penthouse apartment window at the city below as twilight begins to take hold. In the two hours that have passed, the squad of Soul Reapers have successfully eliminated all of the remaining Hollows. As he stares at the setting sun he dials a number into his cell phone. As the call is picked-up on the other end Adam calmly says, "Ethan, its time."


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Nephilim

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

Contributor(s): William-DN

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website.

**Bleach: Fallen Souls – Chapter Three**

Three days have passed since the swarm of Hollows descended upon the city. Adam is sitting at an outside restaurant in the center of the city, dressed in his usual semi-formal style. A young Asian man of approximately the same age as Adam approaches him from behind. The young man is dressed in what could be called "geek fashion." He begins to open his mouth to say something but Adam interrupts him saying, "You're late Ethan." Slightly surprised that Adam knew he was behind him, Ethan stutters his original comment and proceeds to sit down across from Adam. As he sits he lets out a sigh of relief and says, "Damn you Adam, why the hell did we have to meet at this time of the day? I had to walk 3 miles just to get here because of the traffic." Adam gives a light laugh and a brief smirk, "It's not my fault that you can't plan ahead. Perhaps you wouldn't be so winded if you gave up smoking. Care for a drink?" Ethan squints at Adam as he pulls a cigarette from his pocket and lights it in his mouth, "Bleh, you know I could never quit. What ya drinkin?" Adam stares out into the crowd of people that are beginning to walk by the restaurant on their way home from their jobs, "I needed something to take the edge off. Vodka, want some?" Ethan is slightly shocked and exclaims, "Damn! When you do something you go all in, don't ya? Nah, I'm good." Ethan, now looking in to increasingly massive crowd of people on the street asks, "So how exactly are we going to find these _people_?" Adam turns his attention back to him, "Easy enough. I am going to increase my spiritual pressure a little as we sit here. You will then do checks on everyone that notices my spiritual pressure in order to find those that fit our specifications." Ethan laughs, "That's all? Here I thought this was going to be difficult." Adam suddenly takes a more serious tone, "I also need you to run an active check on everyone within view of us. Someone shot me with a bullet made of Hollow bait the other day. I cannot afford anything more to go wrong at this point." Ethan nods his head in understanding and gives a salute to Adam in jest, "Roger that." With that he takes out an iPhone-like device from his pocket and says, "Shall we begin?"

That night, a young woman named Anika hears the doorbell for her apartment ring as she attempts to will herself to sleep. At first she decides to ignore it as her neighborhood is not noted for having the most upstanding people living within it. However, over the course of a few minutes the frequency and lengths of the rings continue to increase. Considering that it is nearly 11PM and she has to open up the tattoo shop she works at tomorrow morning, she storms towards the door to tell whoever it is to get lost. As she opens the door in a flurry she exclaims, "DAMN IT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDE…" but is caught off guard by the man standing in front of her. Instead of the teenage punk or drunken hooker she expected, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and chauffer's hat is the culprit. Without a hint of emotion he says, "My apologies madam, but I come on behalf of Mr. Adam Song. Can I assume you know who that is?" Anika relaxes a little as a slightly confused look appears across her face, "Ya, I know of him. He's that millionaire recluse who does something with stock, right? What the f*ck does he want with me, a tattoo or some shit?" Still without showing any emotion the chauffer replies, "As to that, I do not know madam. However, I was instructed to tell you if questioned that he will make it worth your while to come with me and meet him. Furthermore, he stated that your life's question shall be answered." Anika begins to become annoyed once again as her body's posture become slightly more rigid. She begins to speak, but pauses for a moment to think. As the moment passes she begins to walk away from the door and says, "Sure, what the f*ck. I could use some cash. Just give me a few minutes, I'll be right out."

About 15 minutes later Anika finally emerges from her apartment and makes her way the limo. The chauffer who previously showed no emotion accidentally lets some through his professionalism. Perhaps it is her punk style of dress, the fact that her body is seemingly covered in various tattoos, the fact that she took so long to emerge from her apartment, or maybe just having to work so late, but the man clearly has distaste for her presence. As the limo passes through various neighborhoods of the city, Anika takes notice that they are not head towards the center of the city as she would have expected. Instead they are headed towards the deserted factory district, which raises a great deal of concern in her mind. She finally cannot stand the confusion nor the suspense and asks, "Exactly where the hell are we going, Jeeves?" A few moments pass before the chauffer finally decides to answer. He states, once again devoid of emotion, "Mr. Song has requested that his guests meet him at a remote location for the sake of privacy, after all you were the one who identified him as a, how did you put it, 'millionaire recluse.'" With that, the limo pulls up at the end of a row of abandoned warehouses. In the distance three other people, seemingly the other "guests" can be standing in front of one of the warehouses. As Anika leaves the limo she says snidely, "Don't ya need to go pick up Master Wayne now? See ya, Jeeves." Without saying another word the chauffer drives off as Anika makes her way to the other guests.

As Anika approaches the others, she remarks at the overall oddness of this meeting. Standing facing the building and the other two "guests" is a young black man in his mid-30s. As he is heatedly discussing the present situation with the other two individuals, Anika can see a detective's shield swing from around his neck. This man's overall appearance, from what Anika can make out, is of someone who is quick to react with extreme emotion, most commonly anger. The other woman present seems to be intimidated by the detective, suggested by her recoiling slightly every time the volume of his voice rises. Based on the bun hair style and her plain and generally "safe" manner of dress, especially for such a young woman, Anika figures that she is either a school teacher or a librarian. Regardless of this, Anika finds some enjoyment in the fact that she will not be the only woman at this "meeting." The final "guest" is a young man dressed in a business suit. Anika notices that this man is clearly disinterested in anything the detective has to say, but is still able to fool him into thinking that he is following along. She surmises that he must be a lawyer.

With all of these observations fresh in her mind, Anika jokes to herself "A tattoo artist, teacher, cop, and lawyer walk into an abandoned factory district…" but the detective hears her speak and interrupts her, saying "Ya got something to say?" This catches Anika off guard, but she quickly recovers and snidely asks, "So what's the gist here? Anyone know why Song "summoned" us to the middle of nowhere?" The teacher attempts to say something, but the detective cuts her off "NO! We don't know a damn thing and I've been here the f*cking longest outta ya all! This asshole better show up soon or I think I'll pay him a visit tomorrow!" Anika's face becomes serious, clearly displeased with the detective. She yells at him, "A simple "No." would have been fine. Knock off the yelling and aggression, your clearly scaring her!" The teacher, in a soft voice, begins to say, "No it's…" buts decides not to finish speaking.

Suddenly, the same transparent orange wall that Adam encountered before appears around the warehouse and just in front of the physical door, a passageway open. The four are shocked beyond belief by what they have just witnessed. As they are all standing in a state of awe, the detective hears the door unlock and rushes inside, to confront whoever is there. Either out of concern or curiosity, the remaining three follow behind him. As the lawyer closes the door behind him, it locks and the transparent orange wall can be seen fading away through the windows. The four are standing in near complete darkness, except for what little moonlight is filtered in through the dirt-caked windows. Without notice all of the lights in the warehouse turn on to reveal Adam and Ethan facing the group. Adam quickly smiles and says, "Welcome."

The detective is the first to react, blurting out "Welcome? WHAT THE F*CK! You've been in here this entire f*cking time and kept us waiting outside in the dark in the middle of the f*cking night. What the…" but he is interrupted by Adam, a fact that Anika finds amusing as she lets out a light laugh. Adam, while gazing over the group, says "Allow me to offer my apologies, but I was interested in seeing exactly what type of people Ethan here had me recruit. Being told is one thing, be seeing first hand is completely different. However, I do not appreciate the aggression directed towards me, nor the others in the group. I _highly_ advise that you calm down and learn to channel that aggression into something more…beneficial." The detective snarls at Adam and turns to leave, stating "You know what, f*ck you! I'm done with this sh*t!" Before the detective can reach the door, Adam interjects "That is fine by me, I would rather you not waste my time, but let me ask you something, why did you come here? What did you think I meant by 'your life's question answered?'" The detective pauses, and remarks, in a calmer tone, "Hell if I know." Adam laughs lightly to himself and smirks, "But you do know, that is why you came. I guess I should will stop being vague. All of you can see ghosts and have been able to since childhood. Furthermore, all of you want to know whatever you can learn about these "ghosts" and what they really mean with regards to how the world works."

The detective is again building in anger, not pleased about something in what Adam just said, "Bullsh*t, I haven't seen…" but is again cut off by Adam. He, now getting a tad annoyed with the detective and states, "But you have, there is no point in lying. That "wall" outside was similar to the ghosts that you have seen throughout your entire life and you reacted to its appearance. The sooner you lower your shield, the sooner we can progress with the point of the meeting." With that the detective finally shuts-up as Adam directs the group to follow him to a "trap-door" in the floor. Adam opens it to reveal the staircase that descends to _his_ area, to which he directs the group to walk down following Ethan. Before descending himself, he takes one quick look around to ensure no one and nothing is in the warehouse. Satisfied that it is empty, he begins his descent and closes the trap-door behind him.

Upon finally entering the massive area, Anika is the first to comment on its impossibility. To that effect she states, "Holy sh*t! We just walk down a staircase in the sky. Did you drug us or something?" As the others in the group take in their surroundings in amazement, she refocuses her attention on to Adam and finally asks, "So what exactly do you want with us? Why us of all people?" The question has peeked the attention of the other three and they are all now focusing on Adam, as Ethan sits down on a nearby boulder and begins to toy with his iPhone-like device.

Adam takes a moment and gazes up into the fake sky. Upon collecting his thoughts he begins to speak, "Why you? Yes, why you? You were all chosen due not to your chosen professions, nor your religious or political beliefs. In those respects I could care no less. No, I chose your four because of who you are deep within yourselves." As he looks at their faces it is clear to him that they are confused, but still interested in what he has to say. He continues, "To put it in the simplest terms, you are all like me, in that you four have all lost someone who was the one and only focus of your life. Yes, you continued on living, but ever since you lost them you have been drifting. You wonder how and why things had to turn out that way." Adam is interrupted by the lawyer, "Excuse me, but my life is not empty. I make more money that anyone here….well perhaps not more than, but due to my career I am able to live a very comfortable life and do whatever I want to, whenever I want, with whom ever I want." Adam is not caught off guard in the slightest. Instead he smirks and moves closer to the lawyer, standing face to face with him. Without breaking eye contact Adam begins to speak again, "I see and what is it that you do, Vincent Lance, that allows you to be so happy? A criminal defense attorney? Yes, I am sure you do make a lot of money. However, due to your conquest for financial wealth your fiancé was killed by one of your clients that you refused to defend any longer because he couldn't pay. So yes, I guess you are happy. Are you so happy that you were planning on taking your own life tomorrow had I not called you here?" Vincent says nothing and looks towards the ground, clearly in emotional pain.

Adam now turns his attention to the others. He faces the teacher and says, "You, Lisa Rosen, lost your husband in the Middle East. His body blown to bits so small nothing could be recovered for a proper funeral." Now facing the detective, he continues, "Or you, Detective James Stokes, who lost your wife to a robbery gone wrong and now treats everyone with indifferent anger and aggression because you feel that they cannot possibly understand your pain." He finally turns to Anika, "And then there is you Anika Veelon. You lost your parents in a car crash when you were only 12. You were forced into foster care, and never again truly connected to anyone, for the fear that you would lose them." Adam now turns and walks away from the group and heads towards his lab. While, the others have emotionally shut down at Adam's abrupt and heartless comments, Anika is not phased quite as bad. She begins to walk towards Adam as if she was going to hit him, but stops mid-way and asks, "How exactly do you know so much about us and our lives? How the HELL do you know things that are so private that we have never spoken them to a soul?"

With that Ethan finally makes a comment on the current situation in the form of a clear mocking cough. Anika turns to Ethan and asks, "You got something to say geek?" which riles Ethan enough to finally tear him away from whatever it is he is doing on his device. Without hesitation he states, "Adam learned everything that he just said from me. I am the one who fed it to him before this meeting took place, so if you want to vent at someone, here I am." It is at this point that the other three are beginning to mentally collect themselves. Vincent, now aware of the conversation asks, "So let me guess you're a private detective or something? You know we really should sue you both for what you've done, bringing us here to screw with our minds." Ethan laughs in a slightly sinister tone, "Seriously, is all you think about is money, isn't it? And to answer your question, no I'm not a P.I., but you could say that I am more of a hacker. Looking _into_ people is my _ability_."

It is at this point that Adam has returned with the four mysterious katana that he had created. Without saying a word, he jams each blade into the ground in front of each of the four. Their glowing mist-like auras slowly billowing from the blades, as if it was physically past of them. As he begins to distance himself from them again, he says, "I apologize for being so clinical and abrupt, but I needed to make my point clear. None of you would lower your guards, so I had to tear them down. Again, for that I apologize, but to continue, not only did your loved ones die, but because of your ability to see ghosts you saw the monsters that they became. You also saw the ghostly individuals, the Soul Reapers or "gods" of Death, that swiftly killed your loved ones, despite your pleas to have mercy on them." At this point in his speech, Adam's tone immediately becomes serious, highly emotional, and somewhat aggressive. He continues, "What if I told you there was a way that we could bring them back? What if I told you that there was a way that we could change the world, a way that we could make it how we think…no how we know it should be? No war, no disease, no greed, no DEATH but just endless and peaceful life. What if I told you there was a way that we could rewrite fate from beginning to end? In front of the four of you I have placed the beginnings to that future." Anika interrupts him and asks, "What exactly do these funky swords do?" Adam smiles slightly and continues, "They will grant you the power to aid me in securing this future for our world. These swords will bestow upon each of you the powers and abilities of the very Soul Reapers you hate and despise."

As soon as he says this, Adam takes a Soul Candy from his pocket and tosses it into his mouth, separating his Soul Reaper body from his human body, and revealing that he is indeed a Soul Reaper. He recognizes their amazement and continues, "Do this to take revenge against the forces that have ruined our lives and reverse the fates that have come to pass, but do not make this decision lightly. There is no going back once you take this leap. You will forever become a Soul Reaper and you theoretically will be dead. I now leave it to you four. If this is the path you choose, take hold of each katana, center the blade in the blade just right of your heart and push it in swiftly. If you feel this is not the path for you, then you may leave now. When you wake up tomorrow you won't remember any of this and your life will continue the way _it_ has decided for you."

The four pause for a few moments to process everything that has just been told to them. They occasionally glance at one another to see if anyone else has made a decision yet. Suddenly, Lisa picks up her katana and places the point of the blade on her chest. The other three look surprised that she, of all people, would choose to become a Soul Reaper. A decisive look crosses James' face as he picks up his katana and points it towards his chest, followed by Anika. Vincent begins to walk away, but abruptly changes his mind, lets out a deep sigh, and follows suit. In an instant all four plunge their katana into the chests as four explosions of spiritual pressure and energy rock the area. As the debris around where they were standing begins to settle, four silhouettes can faintly be seen. Adam grins and says, "Welcome to Nephilim."


	4. Chapter 4: Learning Curve Part 1

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

Contributor(s): William-DN

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website.

Chapter Four

As the debris continues to settle, the four new Soul Reapers begin coughing as if they are having trouble breathing. Ethan laughs and comments to Adam, "Bet you didn't count on that happ…" but before he can finish, Adam unsheathes and releases Kamikaze, swinging it with the dull side of the blade leading. A forceful but not deadly gust of wind is released from Kamikaze, clearing all of the remaining debris and allowing the new soul reapers to breathe with ease.

As Adam re-sheathes a now sealed Kamikaze, he motions to Ethan to walk with him over to the group. As Adam and Ethan walk over, the four are busy looking over their new spiritual bodies, partially in shock and partially in amazement. They are all dressed in a similar style as Adam's soul reaper garbs, with slight variations reflecting each individual's specific personality. James suddenly comments, "What the f**k, we all look like f**king Jap samurai!" Looking at the group, Adam laughs and explains, "Samurai? Well, sort of…how do I put it….the Japanese samurai garbs were a direct copy of the clothing the ancient Japanese saw Soul Reapers wearing. The actual name for your "outfit" is a shihakushō, or garment of dead souls. The same notion of copying goes for the similarities between zanpakutō and katana." The four new soul reapers nod their heads in semi-understanding when Anika abruptly asks, "By the way, when we transformed or whatever the hell that was, I heard you say something like "Welcome to Nephilim." What the hell did you mean by that?"

Adam turns to face her with a slightly surprised look on his face, evidently shocked that she heard him make that comment. He closes his eyes for a brief moment to think and then faces the others saying, "The Nephilim were mythological beings in middle eastern and western religious beliefs. In short they were believed to be beings that resulted from the hybridization of angel and man. Since, in a similar way to the Japanese, angels were based off of Soul Reapers, I figured the name would fit, especially considering the fact that all of us are now spiritual beings with living human bodies. In other words, "Nephilim" is the name of our little group or rather the name of my group. Nephilim has been around for a number of years in some form or another and it has more members other Ethan and myself, however, right now there is no point in involving them.

Anika smiles at Adam, signifying that she is clearly pleased with the answer he gave for some reason. She then continues to ask, "So what now, we go kick some ass?" Ethan bursts into laughter so great he has to sit down. To this Anika unhappily replies, "What the f**k is so funny four-eyes?" while walking towards him, clearly with the intent of punching him. Before she can reach him, Adam intercedes and says, "Don't mind Ethan so much. We all have distinct personalities and he is no exception. Anything that he thinks is "stupid" he finds funny, wildly so. A curse of his personal brand of genius I guess." Vincent at this point clears his throat to get the attention of everyone and finally speaks up. Giving the impression that he is in a hurry, he says "Not to be rude or anything, but then what are we supposed to do now?" Adam begins to slowly walk towards what looks like a lake in the distance and states, "Train, now please follow me."

As the group approaches the shore of the moderately sized lake, Adam snaps his fingers and four platforms rise from the depths. What is most surprising about these platforms, aside from their sudden arrival, is that they are balanced on pillars that end in tips only as big as a needle. Adam turns to the group and says, "This will be your first training session, spiritual pressure control. Normally, Soul Reapers learn to develop and control their spiritual pressures over the course of years or even decades. However, we do not have the luxury of time so I was forced to develop a "crash course" for you guys." Anika stares at the platforms and then turns to Adam with a confused look on her face. She asks, "Okaaaay, so how the hell does this exactly work?" Adam smiles briefly and explains, "Honestly it is much easier than it looks. Those four platforms are currently balanced because they are not in contact with a source of spiritual pressure. From the moment you make contact with your platform, you will have 10 seconds to get settled. After that the platform will react to your uncontrolled spiritual pressure by becoming unbalanced. Once you are able to suppress and control your spiritual pressure, the platform will re-balance and you will have passed this training. Should you be unable to control your spiritual pressure, you will fall into the lake….and trust me when I say the water is cold, very cold. The best way to think of it is like riding a bike. Once you learn how, it will become second nature."

At this point Lisa, who has been quiet this entire time, timidly asks "Um, why is this so important? Shouldn't we learn how to fight?" Adam begins to walk away from the shoreline while saying, "If you are unable to control your spiritual pressure, not only will you become an open target for other spiritual entities, like Hollows and "other" Soul Reapers, but you also risk putting those around you in danger from your own presence." Adam pauses and turns back towards the group and says, "Okay, enough chatting. Get to work…oh I almost forgot, no talking to one another. You need to learn this on your own. I will give you a hint though, meditation may help." With that James, Lisa, Anika, and Vincent all individually jump onto their platforms.

As Adam continues to walk away from the lake and towards a large rock, he asks Ethan, "You mind watching the new recruits for a little while?" Ethan quickly glances towards them and back towards Adam, who is now reclined in a sitting position against the rock. Before he can reply, they hear a loud "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF**************************KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" as Anika falls from her platform for the fourth time in only a few minutes. Ethan laughs to himself slightly and says, "Sure thing. I doubt any of them are going to make any progress for a while anyway if the tattoo artist is any judge of it." While his eyes begin to close in exhaustion Adam says softly, "Thanks. I need to rest a bit. I haven't slept in five da…" as he drifts off to sleep.

As Adam sleeps his dreams are random and incoherent. At one point he is apparently in a Lady Gaga music video for some reason and at another he is talking in Spanish to a zebra, who strangely replies in German. However, as they continue they slowly transition into a nightmare Adam knows all too well. He is running hastily down an abnormally long alleyway towards a young woman with brunette hair who is standing with her back to him. As he makes it roughly half way down the alley he can make out a shadowed figure standing in front of the woman, as a blade shaped much like a katana is pushed through her heart and out her back. Suddenly, the woman bursts into flames as the shadowed figure vanishes from sight. Adam picks up speed but cannot make it in time to do anything. By the time he reaches the woman all that is left is a pile of ash with a diamond ring on top, the same diamond ring Adam now wears around his neck. Adam cries a howl of a cry full of pain and agony as rain begins to fall. Suddenly, Adam jerks awake and wipes a few tears from his eyes. He stares off into space to collect himself and then walks towards the shoreline, where Ethan is sitting watching the group of new soul reapers attempt to get a handle on their training.


	5. Chapter 5: Learning Curve Part 2

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

Contributor(s): William-DN

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website.

**Bleach: Fallen Souls - Chapter Five "Learning Curve: Part 2"**

As Adam approaches Ethan he attempts to say something, but a long yawn comes out of his mouth instead. Ethan gives a brief sarcastic laugh and asks, "I take it you didn't get much rest, eh?" Adam refuses to respond to the comment, which was clearly made in bad taste, and after a brief stare-down with Ethan alters his gaze to the in-training Soul Reapers. He asks, "So how are my students doing, or have you been so absorbed in your MMO that you couldn't do as I asked?" In disgust and annoyance that Adam would dare treat him in the same manner that he treated him, stands up and begins to head towards the staircase to exit the base. After taking a few steps he pauses and turns his head back towards Adam who is still looking at the on-going training and says, "Detective Stokes has finished his training. In fact he finished about 15 minutes after you went beddy-by. Vincent and Lisa are making progress so they should be done soon too. As for the tattoo girl, she can't even get her platform balanced for a minute. Now I'm leaving if you don't mind."

With this new information, Adam walks directly in front of James' platform and snaps his fingers, causing the pillar to descend and the platform to float on top of the lake. All the while, James has not budged from what appears to be a meditative state. Adam calls to James and tells him he can get off, that he passed his training. However, there is no response. Adam whistles loudly and yells out to James, but again there is no response, not even a twitch. Suddenly a loud snore erupts from James' mouth, as if the man were a sleeping lion. Adam laughs to himself as he gives a quick and mischievous glance to Vincent and Lisa who are both attempting to observe what is happening, despite their own training.

Adam suddenly jumps full force onto the back edge of James' platform, causing it to launch the man into the air headed towards the center of the lake. In the middle of this, James startles awake screaming "WWWHHHHHAAAATTTTTT TTTTHHHHHEEEEE FFFF*******…." as he hits the water hard. Adam, laughing hysterically to himself, walks in the air over the water back to the shore line as James swims behind him. When James finally reaches the shore and walks out of the water, he, clearly pissed off, asks "What the hell was that for? I was meditating like you said!" Adam turns to him and gives him a sarcastic look, as if to say "Really? Are you sure that's the story you want to go with?" James, realizing that he is making a fool of himself, corrects his statement, saying "Okay, okay, you got me. I fell asleep. SO WHAT? What the f**k, did I fail or something? Like I give a sh*t!" Adam now completely turns to him and says, "No, you didn't fail. You passed. In fact you passed with flying colors. Not only were you able to control your Spiritual Pressure in a short amount of time, from what I have heard, but you were able to do so while you were sleeping." Shocked at Adam's encouraging statement, James replies, "Uh…okay good. So, um, am I free to go?"

Adam nods his head yes, but adds "Before you go you might want this." As he walks up to James he hands him what looks like an ordinary key attached to a metallic-feather keychain. As James looks at the object in slight confusion, Adam states, "That is a key to our base here. You will be able to use it to enter this base whenever you wish. However, I caution you never to give it to ANYONE, even if they claim to be members of Nephilim." James begins to walk towards the exit, stating, "Ya, ya. I got it man. So I assume there will be more training eventually?" At this point Adam has shifted his attention away from James and back towards to other trainees. He lightly yells his reply to James as the man makes his way up the staircase, "Yes. I'll have Ethan call all of you when it's time to move on to the next phase. Until then you can go about your normal life, or spend all your time here doing whatever. It really doesn't matter to me." With that James has left and everything in the base is silent, except for a light breeze and the frequent splashing and swearing as Anika continuously falls off her platform.

Not much time passes before Vincent and Lisa have successfully completed their training. In a similar fashion to his conversation with James, Adam gives them both a key to the Nephilim Base and sends them on their way. As time passes, it becomes increasing evident to him that Anika is making no progress in the control of her Spiritual Pressure. Finally, after a considerable amount of time and patience, he yells out to her, "Alright, that's enough! Take a break for a moment." As Anika reaches the shore, she screams "F**K IT I'M DONE WITH THIS SH*T!" which catches Adam off guard. As she begins to walk towards the exit, Adam says to her, "While I might have made it seem easy, I never said it was. However, I had assumed that you four would be able to do it on your own…unlike me." With this she abruptly stops walking and turns towards Adam saying, "What? You mean Mr. Perfect couldn't control his…stuff or whatever you called it either?" Taking a humble tone he replies, "No, in fact I had a similar issue like you are having. My Spiritual Pressure would randomly increase and decrease and it took quite a long time to get a handle on controlling. I was a "unique" case though, so I assumed that all other Soul Reapers could do it easier." While in the process of rethinking her decision to leave, Anika states, "I am tired of being a failure. I am just so tired of others having such high expectation of me that I can never reach. This is jus…" but Adam cuts her off and says, "I can help you. I know I said I wouldn't but since you are having unusual trouble I think it would benefit you." Anika at this point has made up her mind and with a loud sigh begin to walk back towards Adam and the lake, "So what are we going to do?"

Without saying a word, Adam jumps backwards onto Anika's platform and instructs her to follow him. As she jumps she says, under her breath, "…showoff…" As she lands, she is surprised that the platform stays balanced, so much so that it doesn't even move a centimeter. Adam walks to one end of the platform and instructs Anika to stand across from him. He says "Okay, so while the other three may have been able to get a grasp on controlling their Spiritual Pressure via their failures, you, like me, are probably more of a "hands on" learner. So we are going with the teeter totter method. Essentially, you need to counter the increases or decreases in my Spiritual Pressure using your own. We will start slow but pick up speed until the changes reflect your own rapid changes." She sighs again and says, "Fine, I hope for your sake this works because if I fall in the damn lake again Imma hit you." The two laugh as the modified training begins.

Roughly an hour later, Anika and Adam are just staring at one another as the platform remains completely motionless. Adam suddenly snaps his fingers causing the platform descend and rest on the surface of the lake and says, "Congratulations, you passed!" Anika lets out a sigh of relief, saying, "God damnit, finally! You know it really wasn't that hard once I got the hang of it." The two again laugh as they jump to the shore. Anika asks, "So I am free to go, right? I have some appointments I need to get to." to which Adam replies, "Yes, as for me I have some work to do here before I return to my "living" life as well." She now makes her way to the exit as Adam , nearing his lab, suddenly realizes that he forgot to give Anika her Nephilim Key and yells "WAIT!" as he runs towards her. As Anika stops and turns to face him, Adam trips on a rock sticking out of the ground and face plants right into her breasts. The two freeze for what seems like an eternity, but in reality is only a few seconds at most, as both of their faces turn beet red in embarrassment. Adam quickly pulls himself off of her and says, stumbling in his speech, "Um…I…um…I forgot to…um…" as he is abruptly interrupted by Anika, who says in an embarrassed rush, "Youforgottogivemethekeydon'tgiveittoanyoneyou'llcallwhenitstimetotrainagain!" as she snatches the key from his hand and quickly exits the Nephilim's base.

Five days later Vincent, James, and Lisa, are standing facing Ethan in the middle of the base near the "sky staircase". None of them are talking and it is quite obvious that they are getting bored waiting for something or someone. This is made even more evident by the bulging veins in James' forehead and neck as his anger and annoyance increase second by second. Sudden a loud metallic bang can be heard from above. As the four look up the staircase into the hole in the fake sky, they can hear, "Damnitdamnitdamnit I'm late! Argh!" as Anika runs down the stairs, only to trip and fall halfway down. As she gets up, she apologizes to them for being late. Ethan snickers, clearly trying to get a rise out of Anika, and says "Tardy, how did I know. Perhaps Adam should punish you." Anika squints at Ethan, wondering how much Adam told him about their "encounter," as the group begins to follow him towards Adam's Lab.

As they enter the building, Ethan directs them to enter Room 101. As Vincent opens the door they can see a small lecture hall with Adam standing at the front with four impossibly large binders. Adam smiles and gleefully declares, "Welcomes to Phase 2 of your training, Kido and Accessory Knowledge! We are going to have so much fun in class these next six months!" An unenthusiastic look crosses the faces of Vincent, Anika, and James while Lisa jumps up and down in giddy excitement. Without giving them time to react further, Adam says, "Now please sit down, we have a lot of material to cover in a short amount of time. Your first test is tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6: The First Domino

Bleach: Fallen Souls is an original work by the alias "VeshWolfe." It shall not be reproduced without the express consent of the author (and/or contributors if applicable). Bleach(©) and all likenesses originating from Bleach are copyright trademarks of Tite Kubo, Shonen Jump, and all other applicable copyright holders. Bleach: Fallen Souls and all original likenesses contained within are trademarks (™) to the alias known as VeshWolfe (including the individual behind the alias).

Contributor(s): William-DN

I am currently looking for an Editor(s) and Artists to aid me in this project. The job of the Editor(s) would be to review each chapter and correct the grammar, syntax, and clarity of each. The job of any artists would be to visually depict characters (concept art), key scenes, or in a rare case perhaps even illustrate my story in comic/manga form. If you are interested you can contact me at or my deviantART website.

**Bleach: Fallen Souls - Chapter 6 "The First Domino"**

…Six months later…

As Anika is walking out the last customer for the day at the tattoo shop she works at she hears her boss call for her. "Hey, Anny babe, when you get a chance come to the back room. I have something I need to discuss with you." As she locks the front door of the shop and moans in annoyance. "This can't be good." she thinks to herself as she slowly begins to walk to the back of the shop. Her boss, while a strict man, has never shown her any attention as an employee unless it was something she did wrong…which was rare. The fact that he wanted to talk with her, today her final day working at his shop, must mean he has an axe to grind with her.

As she opens the door to the back room a loud "SURPRISE!" emanates so loudly that she flinches slightly as if in pain. She pans around the room to see all of her now former co-workers, her boss, and Lisa surrounding an extremely large cake with the word "Congratulations!" sprawled across it. Anika is broken from her moment of shock when her former boss begins to speak, saying "Now I know I haven't been the warmest person to work with, but in this business you've got to demand the best out of your people. However, I think I can speak for everyone in saying that we have all immensely enjoyed having you work here and are over joyed that you are finally opening up your own shop. You do excellent work and I am sure you are gonna give us quite a bit of competition in the future." She can barely speak, only able to get out "Wha…how…who…huh?" The whole room laughs at her still awkward yet hilarious shock at the situation. Her former boos smiles and then adds, "Well we wanted to throw you a party before you left, but since you never really shared anything personal about yourself we didn't know how to go about it. That's when I saw your friend Lisa here and she agreed to help us." Anika glares at Lisa and mumbles under her breath jokingly, "Imma kill you!" In the six months that have passed Lisa and Anika have grown into close friends, perhaps due to the fact that each one compliments the other. While Anika is brash, aggressive, and outspoken Lisa is intelligent, calm, and quiet.

As the party concludes and the time approaches midnight, people gradually begin to leave. Eventually Anika and Lisa leave the tattoo shop and walk into the alley-parking lot behind it as her former boss gives one last drunken goodbye. However, he isn't the only one who is drunk as both Anika and Lisa are giggling and stumbling around in a joyful stupor. Suddenly, Anika's cellphone rings and instantly upon answering James can be heard screaming, "WHERE THE F**K ARE YOU TWO!" They both immediately snap out of their drunkenness as Anika abruptly tells James that they will be right there. Lisa notices that Anika is frantically patting around her body, as if she is looking for something, and asks "Did you lose something?" to which she replies, "Yes! Shit! How the hell did I lose my soul candy? ARGH!" Lisa smiles sweetly and says, "It's okay, you can use one of mine. " As Anika tries to speak in objection Lisa shoves a soul candy in her mouth, muffling whatever was going to be said and then swallows one herself. A small blast of pressure and energy is emitted from both of their bodies as Anika and Lisa's Soul Reaper forms separate from their living bodies. Anika is clearly annoyed at what Lisa just did, but before she can say anything Lisa exclaims, "Race ya!" as she dashes off faster than any normal person could see. Anika lets out a loud sigh while shaking her head, as if she is exhausted, and then dashes after her.

In another area of the city stand Adam, Ethan, Vincent, and James waiting in what appears to be a deserted factory district. As to be expected, James is getting increasingly angry by the moment due to the fact that not only is Anika again late for the hundredth time, but now her tardiness seems to be spreading. Everyone, except Ethan of course, are in their Soul Reaper forms and upon observation of each of their individual Shihakushō, it is clear that the four new Soul Reapers are vastly more comfortable being Soul Reapers, as evident by the modifications they have made to their garments. Vincent's Shihakushō has an appearance that is has been ironed in that it is devoid of any wrinkles and sits upon his body as if he were wearing a $5000 dollar suit. James' Shihakushō is worn loose, such that it is partially opened over his muscular chest. He also has its sleeves rolled up halfway up his arms. Anika, while not currently present, has modified her Shihakushō to be extremely tight fitting, for some reason, perhaps sue to the pride she has in her own body. She has also seemingly ripped off its sleeves, in order to show off both of her fully tattooed arms. Finally, Lisa, while also not currently present, has only modified her Shihakushō slightly by simply adding lace-like frills to the ends of its sleeves and collar.

Suddenly, as James was about to open his cellphone to call Anika again, she appears in the blink of an eye with a huge smirk on her face. A few seconds later Lisa appears as well, panting as if she is out of breath. Turning to face her, Anika says, "Now you know I am the best at using Shunpo, why the hell would you race me?" Lisa joking cries and says, "Awwwwwwwww, I thought it would be fun. I didn't think you would take it so seriously." which is followed by her making a "sad face" in jest. James abruptly clears his throat and states, clearing directing the comment towards Adam, "Perhaps now we can begin whatever the f**k we are doing here?"

Adam, stutters for a moment, as he was concentrating on something else, and finally speaks. He begins with, "Okay, so I know you all are probably wondering why we are here, fankly, in the middle of nowhere. The answer is simple, this is your final test for "phase two" of your training." All four look at Adam with interest, eager to know what exactly they will be doing. Ethan, on the other hand, seems extremely uninterested and instead is fiddling around on his electronic device. Adam continues, "I have trapped five Hollows within this area. Now while they are trapped within this confined space, they are free to move within it as they see fit. Your task is to dispose of all five Hollows before sunrise using everything and anything you have learned during this phase of your training. Be it Kidō, Kendo, or Shunpo I really do not care. Just do what comes naturally." James smiles sinisterly and yells out, "Finally! Time to kick some ass!" as he and the other three slowly begin to walk further into the area. Adam, in hesitation, adds, "Oh there is one more thing, there is no safety net per-se. While I will intervene if something highly unexpected occurs, like a Menos Grande showing up out of the blue, you do need to keep in mind that there is a very real possibility that you can get seriously injured and even killed if you do not take this seriously." With that both he dashes of to somewhere unseen, with Ethan disappearing in a flicker of green light as well.

While glancing over the area to see if any Hollows can easily be seen, Anika asks the others, "So how do we want to do this?" Without so much as looking at her, James sternly states, "Solo!" and dashes off. Lisa and Anika are slightly shocked at his actions, and turn their attention to Vincent for his input. He sighs and says, "Don't mind him. You know how he gets. For now let's see if we can handle this by ourselves. If one of us cannot, fire a Shakkahō into the sky and the rest of us will come running. Best of luck ladies." As soon as he finishes speaking, Vincent dashes off as well. As Lisa begins to walk away, she asks, "Want to make it a contest?" Anika yells, "NO!" in clear hatred of the idea as Lisa giggles and dashes off as well.

A few moments pass, as Anika stands looking around and thinking to herself, "Now what do I do?" In an attempt to sense the nearest Hollow's Spiritual Pressure, Anika closes her eyes to focus. Suddenly, a sinister raspy chuckle can be heard. Anika looks around in panic, having not had the time to sense the Spiritual Pressure of anything yet as the raspy voice comments, "I was wondering when they'd leave."


End file.
